Lajuma Research Centre

The Lajuma Research Centre, located in the Soutpansberg Mountains of Limpopo, offers a rare setting for long-term primate behavioural and ecological studies. The reserve supports all five South African primate species, including chacma baboons, vervet monkeys, samango monkeys, and two galago species. The diverse combination of mountain forest, grasslands, and rocky terrain provides exceptional opportunities to examine primate adaptation, social organisation, and habitat use. Internship Overview The Chacma Baboon Project at Lajuma Research Centre investigates the behaviour and feeding ecology of wild but human-habituated baboon troops in the Soutpansberg Mountains. This unique setting allows close, non-invasive observation of social dynamics, movement patterns, and dietary choices. Participants help maintain long-term monitoring by collecting field data on activity patterns, habitat use, and seasonal diet. Shorter stays focus on broad behavioural and ecological...

The Soutpansberg Mountains support a distinctive assemblage of reptile species shaped by past climate stability and geographic isolation. Cool rocky slopes, summit grasslands, and diverse forest systems create refuges for many endemic species. At the Lajuma Research Centre, interns assist in long-term reptile monitoring while gaining practical experience in species identification, habitat assessment, and ecological field methods. Internship Focus: Interns participate in reptile surveys and habitat evaluations across a range of environments. The project aims to document species distribution, abundance, and ecological requirements to support ongoing conservation and biodiversity research. Activities may include: Conducting visual encounter surveys and habitat assessments Recording species presence, abundance, and behaviour Supporting data entry, management, and reporting Fieldwork Requirements: All fieldwork is carried out on...

About Us The Lajuma Research Centre is home to more than 2,500 plant species and 600 tree species. They cover a variety of habitats including woody grasslands, mountain bushveld, mistbelt forest, and riverine forest, and their related floral diversity. Vegetation communities and structures are dynamic and need to be constantly studied. An array of vegetation studies can be undertaken in this unique landscape.  Internship Overview Depending on the project, interns will be actively identifying species, delineating environments or sampling vegetation communities, further expanding knowledge on this crucial aspect of ecology.  Activities may include: Ground truthing vegetation communities to update vegetation maps Alien and invasive species removal/mapping Focal data collection on species utilisation of key vegetation, eg Ficus sp.  Assisting with data management and reporting Fieldwork Requirements All fieldwork...